Folding table



INVENTOR.

Han/3y J fill/77 BY I ,1 is

ATTORNEYS Patented July 29, 1941 isrres FOLDING TABEE Harry J. ll-amt,Kansas CityfMo assignor of one-half to Matthew Orr, Kansas City, Mo.

Application my 1, 1940, seriapNo. 343,357

3 Claims.

This invention relates to furniture and particularly a table of thefolding type wherein the leaves thereof may be moved to and from aninoperative, substantially vertical position close to the pedestal ofthe table.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a table of theaforementioned character, wherein specially designed and disposed le sare employed to not only hold the leaves of the table in the operativeposition, but to extend above the stationary part of the table top whenthe latter is folded, to serve as stabilizers for the legs and asarticle retaining members.

This invention has for a further aim to provide a folding table or thelike, which is equipped with a pair of folding leaves and legs tosupport the same, which legs and leaves are designed to cooperate withthe table in the operative and folded condition.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a folding table made in accordance withthe present invention, one of the two leaves thereof being in theinoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the table illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of one side of the table; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view through thezone of connection between the leaves and the pedestal.

The folding table contemplated by this invention, may assume many forms,to the end that such articles of furniture as coffee tables, end tables,occasional tables and smoking stands, may be created by manipulating theswingable leaves constituting a part of the device. The manner in whichthe specially formed legs of the table cooperate with the remainingpart, contributes to the adaptation of the structure as will be fullyhereinafter set down.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

:in cradle l4 when the folding table is serving as a smokers accessory.

Pedestal 6 has laterally extending wings l'8 near the upper end thereofthat extend a short distance to each of two opposite sides of thepedestal. It is to these Wings I8 that leaves 20 of like character, areswingably mounted through the medium of hinges 22. The length of leaves20 is such as to allow them to move to place above base 8 when the tableis folded as shown to the left in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3.

It is desirable, in the interest of good proportion, to have leaves 20shorter than their distance above the supporting surface, such as thefloor. Specially created legs 24 therefore, are hingedly secured as at26 to the free ends of leaves 20.

The free ends of legs 24 are bifurcated as at 28 to present twostraddling portions 3!] which embrace the respective Wings [8 when legs24 are inoperative or positioned between their respective leaf 20 andstandard 6.

A spacer 32 between the hinged end of legs 24 and the respective leaves20, insures that leaves 26 will lie in a substantially true verticalplane when the table is folded. This presents a compact, sightly anddesirable folded article of furniture without characteristicsidentifying it as such.

Portions 3B serve to retain an article in place when it is positioned onwings l8 or when a specially formed tray is mounted in cradle [4.

The manner of swingably associating the parts has been shown andembodies but one concept of this invention. It is therefore, obviousthat different ways of hingedly mounting leaf and leg 2!] and 24respectively, for example, may be employed without departing from theinvention.

When leaves 20 are in the horizontal position or when the folding tableis open for use, cradle l4 serves as a stop and overlies a part of eachleaf 20. A definite balance is maintained when leaves 20 are mounted oneach side of standard 6, but as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the leavesmay be singularly used to present what is commonly called an end table,if desired. When both leaves 20 are collapsed, as indicated in Fig. 3,the folding table is tall and relatively slim so that a smoking stand ispresented.

The advantages arising from the specially formed legs 24 are many fortheir use in a combination of parts forming such an article of furnitureas has hereinabove been described, allows the production of a unique,novel and desirable folding table susceptible of adaption to many uses.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extendinglaterally from each of two opposite sides of the standard near the upperend thereof; a leaf hingedly connected at one end to each wingrespectively whereby the leaves may be moved to and from substantiallyvertical positions beside the pedestal; and a leg provided with abifurcated end hingedly mounted on each leaf respectively, said legsbeing in a place to support the respective leaves in horizontal planeswhen in the operative positions and in a place between the leaves withthe bifurcated ends straddling the said wings when the table is in thefolded condition.

2. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extendinglaterally from the side of said standard near the upper end thereof; aleaf hingedly connected at one end to the wing whereby the latter may bemoved to and from a substantially vertical position beside the pedestal;and a leg provided with a bifurcated end hingedly mounted on the leafnear the free end thereof, said leg having a portion of the bifurcatedend extending upwardly On each side of the said wing when the table isin the folded condition to present article retaining members above thewing.

8. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extendinglaterally from the side of said standard near the upper end thereof; aleaf hingedly connected at one end to the wing whereby the latter may bemoved to and from a substantially vertical position beside the pedestal;and a leg provided with a bifurcated end hingedly mounted on the leafnear the free end thereof, said leg having a portion of the bifurcatedend extending upwardly on each side of the said wing when the table isin the folded condition, said wing having an article receiving cradlemounted thereon extending outwardly therefrom to overlie and engage aportion of the leaf when the latter is in the horizontal position.

HARRY J. HUNT.

